Fence clamp



D. T.. FINKBEINER FENCE CLAMP June 24, 1930.

Filed Aug. A16 ,"'1929 Patented June 24, 1930 Utti'l STATES PATENT GFFEQE DANLEL T. FINKBEINER, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA FENCE CLAMP applicati@ mea August 1s, 1929. semaine. 386,419.

rllliis invention is a device for supporting tence panels, and is particularly designed for use in connection with snow fences, although not limited to this use.

Snow fences et the character now in general use are open to ay number' oi' practical objections. For instance, such fences are usually constructed of a plurality of slats or pickets, united inspaced relation by twisted wires and it is customary to support the fence in place by hanging the wires on lugs projecting from ience posts. This is objectionable because the wire is normally inadequate to support the weight of the fence, and the whipping about of the fence panels in the wind creates fulcra at various points which eventually cause wire fatigue, and sooner er later breakage oit the wire and collapse oi the fence, due to fatigue or abrasion, or both. Another objection is that sections of the tence must be wired to each other in the iield if it is desired to produce a continuous fence.

The present invention is designed to overcome these and other objections, and to these,

ends one of its objects is to provide a simple 'forni of clamp, so'constructed that it may be readily engaged with or disengaged from any portion of a standard type snow fence, without the use of tools. A further object is to provide a device of the character mentioned capable of engaging the supporting lug of a tence post, and so constructed that while so engaged the weight of the fence ap-` plies a torsional strain thereto, which in turn causes it to rmly grip the fence pickets,

and thereby prevent slipping ofthefence..

a. further object is to provide a device having inter-engaging parts, so constructed that it will be normally retained in locked position l y the weight of the fence. A further obj ect is to provide a supporting device `capable of being engaged with the tence pickets at any desired position, so as to conform to the elevations ot the fence post lugs. A further object is to provide a device by means of which the ends of adjoining sections of fencing may be readily connected. together in the field, so as to produce a continuous fence of :any desired length. A further object is to providea device capable of sustaining the entire weight of the fence, thereby relieving the picket connecting wires of the supporting strains. The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth' and particularly pointed out in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a 'front elevation illustrating a iortion of a fence with the invention applied thereto; Figure 2 is a transverse sectional viewon the line 2 2 of Figure l, showing the method of engaging the post lug with the tence supporting device. Figure Bis an enlarged plan view of the fencersupporting device. Figure 4 is an end View; Figure 5 is aV transverse sectional View on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.V Y

Referring to the drawing, l0 designates a fence post of any desirable structure, preferably Inetal, provided with one or more fence supporting lugs 1l, constructed in any suit,- able or desired manner. The fence is made up of a pluralityof pickets l2, which are maintained in spaced relation by i twisted wires 13 in a manner well understood in the art, two of such pickets being shown.

The tence supporting clamp C isk constructed of a single piece of wire bent in such shape as to provide a longitudinally disposed back member 15 extending substantially theV entire length o1"- the device, the wire being bentf'* or offset forwardly to provide two panel engaging loopsl@ andl, which are connected by an intermedia-te rearwardly oiiset arcuate portion 18, which extends acrossfthe plane of and beneath the back piece 18.V One end oi the wireasindicated at 19 forms the outer end of the loop l7,`and the extremity of said end isprovided with a downwardly turned hook portion 20, capableoil engaging the adjacent free end of the back member 19. In order to reduce the chances of the back member 15 becoming disengaged from the hookQO, its extremity is rearwardly offset as indicated at 21.

In practice, the end 21 of the back portion 15 is disengaged from the hook 20 in much the same manner as a safety pin is disengaged, and the loops 16 and 17 are placed around two adjacent slats or pickets 13 of the fence, the arcuate portion 18 extending rearwardly between said slats. The end 21 is then reengaged with the hook 20, with the result that the resiliency of the metal of which the device is constructed causes the loops 16 and 17 and the back member 15 to rmly grip the pickets 13. The fence is supported by hooking the arcuate extension 18 over the supporting lug 11 on the fence post 10, so that said lug extends between said arcuate portion 18 and the adjacent portion of the back piece 15.

The advantages of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it belongs. For instance, the arcuate member 18 permits a horizontal backward or forward give so as to allow the picketsl engaged by the clamp to act freely and uniformly with the remainder of the fence. A further advantage is that the weight of the fence causes the arcuate portion 18 to draw tightly upon the pickets, and thereby assists the several strands of wire with which the pickets are interwoven to maintain the engaged pickets in spaced relation. And the same yresult follows when any downward pressure is exerted upon the fence. Gr in the event of any undue longitudinal strain upon the fence, such as may be brought about by a wind storm or perhaps by stretching of the fence during erection. It will be particularly noted that the arcuate member 18 is extended to the rear of the center of gravity of the clamp, so that when engaged with the fence post the front part of the clamp, due to the weight of the fence, will fall or dip downwardly out of the horizontal or level position, thereby setting up a torsion which causes the clamp to bind against the fence pickets and serves to greatly increase the gripping action upon the fence. pickets, so as to hold them firmly at any desired position. By extending the arcuate portion 18 beneath the back bar 15, it contacts with said bar, so as to recnforce the device at the opening where the post lug engages the clamp, and these parts further cooperate to serve as a lock engaging the fence post lug, thereby preventing accidental disengagement of the'clamp from the post lug while in use. A further advantage is that the torsion created upon the parts while'the clamp is inuse, tends to bring the hook 20ste such a position as to firmly hold the back member 15 against accidental displacement. A further important advantage is that the clamp eliminates all abrasive wear of the character which has heretofore come upon the woven strands of wire which normally connect the fence pickets, and at the same time it provides a means of erecting the fence at a higher or lower elevation above the ground, as may be desired, or as may be required by reason of uneven ground levels at various points along the line of location of the fence. A further advantage is that no screws, bolts, nails or tools are required to fasten the clamp to the fence or to the post lugs, and at the same time a simple and elective means is provided for fastening the adjoining ends of two fence sections together, so as to make a continuous length of fence.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed is 1. A fence clamp of the character described comprising a single piece of wire shaped to provide two spaced apart picket engaging loops, and an intermediate postlug-engaging loop, one extremity of said wire having a transversely disposed hook and the other extremityv having an offset portion posi tioned to engage said hook.

2. A felice clamp of the character described comprising a single piece of wire provided with a longitudinal back member and spaced apart picket engaging loops extending forwardly from said back member, a portion of the wire between said loops being extended rearwardly beyond the back member so as to provide a post-lug-engaging portion, a portion of the wire near one end being extended forwardly to form an end of one of said loops and having a hook-like extremity, the end of said back member being positioned to removably engage said hook* like portion.

3. A fence clamp of the character described comprising a single piece of wire provided with a longitudinal back member and picket engaging loops extending Aforwardly from said back member, a portion of the wire between said loops being of arcuate form andextended rearwardly beneath said back member to provide a post-lug-engaging portion, a portion of the wire forming one of said loops being extended rearwardly and having its extremity provided with a downturned hook, the free end of said back member being positioned adjacent said hook so as to engage therewith.

4. A fence clamp of the character described comprising a single piece of wire provided with longitudinal back member, one end of which is provided with an integral forwardly offset picket engaging loop., the wire contiguous to said loop being extended of a fence', and a clamp comprising a singleV piece of wire having loop portions embracing two adjacent pickets of said fence and provided with a post lug portion extending rearwardly intermediate between said pickets so as to engage said fence post lug, the

ends of said wire having complemental engaging means so that the clamp may be engaged with and disengaged from said pickets.

6. The combination with a fence post provided with a supporting lug, of spaced apart pickets of a fence, and a clamp consisting of a single piece of wire shaped with a longitudinal back member extending transversely across the rear of said pickets, and provided with forwardly extending picket-engaging loops, and a middle intermediate portion extending rearwardly across said back member at a position between said loops and the pickets engaged thereby, and means maintaining the ends of said clamp in normally engaged relation.

7 A fence supportino clamp of the character described comprising a single piece of wire of a shape providing two spaced apart forwardly extended picketclamping loops joined by an intern'iediate rearwardly eX- tended suspension loop shaped to engage a post lug so as to suspend the fence, the ends of said wire being positioned adjacent to and normally movable in one direction with respect to each other, said ends having means for preventing relative movement in the other direction.

8. A fence supporting clamp of the char- Va-cter described comprising a single piece of wire of a shape providing two spaced apart forwardly extended picket-clamping loops joined by an intermediate rearwardly eX- tended arcuate suspension loop formed to engage with a post lug so as to suspend the fence, and a back member extending longitudinally of the clamp across theV suspension loop, the end of said back member and the other extremity of the wire being positioned adjacent to and normally movable with re spect to each other and having means for preventing relative movement in one direction.

9. A fence supporting clamp ofthe character described comprising a singlepiece of wire of a shape providing two spaced apart forwardly extended picket-clamping loops joined by an intermediate rearwardly eX- tended suspension loop formed for engagement with a post lug so as to suspend the fence, one end of said wire being provided with a stop and the other end being posi,- tioned to engage said stop to normally prevent movement in one direction, said Wire being resilient so that the last mentioned end is normally held in engagement with said sto .lin testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

DANIEL T. FINKBEINER. 

